


A Branch to Rest On

by Europa_Knight



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Especially as the story continues, Fluff, Focus on Corvus & Gren though, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Fun exploring what Amaya & Corvus & Gren's past could've been and how they became close friends, M/M, Mutual Pining, Non-canon back stories, Non-canon past, Other, Pre-Series, Set approximately three years before the series, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, very slow
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:53:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25929193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Europa_Knight/pseuds/Europa_Knight
Summary: My wish for you is that you have at least one or two friends whom you trust with your entire self, and if you ever do “fall in love”, that you don’t fall, but insteadgrow into love - together.Beta: literalpaca
Relationships: Amaya & Corvus & Gren (The Dragon Prince), Amaya & Corvus (The Dragon Prince), Amaya & Gren (The Dragon Prince), Corvus & Gren (The Dragon Prince), Corvus & Soren (The Dragon Prince), Corvus/Gren (The Dragon Prince)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 14





	1. The First Step

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gren’s rank in the beginning of this fic is: Lieutenant Commander, but when I looked up if that was verbalized as “Lieutenant” or “Commander” my research said they are addressed as “Commander” so both Lieutenant Commander and Commander are used interchangeably until he officially gets promoted later. :)

* * *

Within the first week of Corvus joining the Standing Battalion, he had quickly discovered Commander Gren’s secret spot: the top of the left turret facing the Katolis side.

“Welcome, care to join?” Corvus could hear the lieutenant commander before he could see him.

“Thanks,” Corvus flashed a smile as he finished climbing up the ladder. 

Now 17 years old (well, 17 and one third), and with his dream job: working for _the_ General Amaya as her tracker, Corvus stood tall and looked outwards. Everything about the Breach still felt new to him. The standard fort structure was the same - a bailey, towers, battlements, a keep, etc.- but the location! _Wow_. 

Being so close to Xadia was thrilling; the constant warmth from the lava nearby wasn’t as oppressive as he thought it was going to be, either! In preparation for this assignment, thinking the heat would be overwhelming, he had recently cut the sides of his hair short and kept only a small mop of natural curls on the top, but now he was starting to think he could grow his hair longer. He wanted to look more mature, maybe braids? Or dreads like the king? _Ha-ha_ , maybe he’d even grow a beard! There were no more Crown Guard Track grooming rules to follow, after all. He felt strangely free.

Corvus moved to the wall facing the fortress, which overlooked the bailey for the most part. He quickly turned and looked out the opposite direction; that side faced towards Katolis. Looking up to the sky there was still a glow from the lava nearby, but Corvus was pleasantly surprised that, past the smoke clouds, he could still see stars.

Still trying to get his bearing, he looked down both sides: a tower, another turret, and then the tower structuring the gatehouse. Flipping around to the other side, nothing but one last tower marking the corner turning point of the fort. 

“I guess this is the place to be if you want some privacy,” he noted aloud. “Come up here often?” he asked while turning towards Lieutenant Commander Gren, a little surprised to see him standing without his armor and only in the standard teal Katolian under armor clothes. It was then that he first remembered that he should probably salute. Corvus stiffened up and brought his fist to his chest.

Commander Gren chuckled a little, and saluted back. The look of panic must’ve been clearly written on Corvus’ face – he’d have to work on not being a completely open book, although all effort to the contrary so far had been in vain, as his sister liked to point out.

“I come up maybe once a week, sometimes a little more,” Commander Gren answered, smile on his face, “It’s sometimes nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of the fort.”

Corvus nodded, a big smile on his face; he felt like a kid going on a scavenger hunt for the first time. “I can see that.”

Gren gave a small nod and settled back into sitting on the ground, wall supporting him as he looked back up towards the sky - he looked completely relaxed.

Corvus was so full of adrenaline he was finding it hard to sit down, so instead he settled for looking back over the fort and to the lavafall past it.

“I guess you must get used to it,” Corvus said nonchalantly, not really sure if he was talking more to himself or to the commander.

“Yes and no. Sometimes you might find yourself missing the stars and trees.”

Corvus turned around, “That makes sense. Is that why you’re up here, commander?”

The lieutenant commander thought about it, tilting his head back and forth, “Yes. More or less.” He returned his gaze to Corvus, “Although the privacy is nice too. This was my secret spot up until ten minutes ago.” He winked good-naturedly.

Corvus could feel the heat rise to his face, “I – I – I’m sorry, sir. I will leave you to your peace immediately.”

Commander Gren laughed and waved his arms, “No, no. I wasn’t trying to kick you out. I would expect nothing less from a tracker who stopped the assassination of the king. I’m pretty sure this is small potatoes by comparison.”

Now Corvus could feel his embarrassment change from humiliation to pride, “Well, saving the king’s life is part of being a Crown Guard.” Even though Corvus was technically a Crown Guard in training at the time.

“True, but stopping it by trapping the assassins before the plans got underway is still very impressive. You weren’t part of those meetings; your commanding officer didn’t want to let you go. Can’t blame them either. General Amaya has high hopes for you.”

“Well, they were _human_ assassins. I never trapped an _elf_ before. I just hope I live up to her expectations of me, I will do everything in my power so that I can.”

The commander got up, placed a hand on his shoulder, and smiled, “I have no doubt that you will. General Amaya chose you after all, and she has impeccable judgment of talent and character.” He patted his shoulder once more, “I’m heading in, but enjoy the view.”

“Thanks.” Corvus smiled then looked out again. He couldn’t wait to tell his family and Soren about the Breach.  
  


* * *

Gren had a lot of work to do. It happened just about every year around this time so the repetition was comforting in a way, but still: a lot of tasks to do.

New recruits for the Standing Battalion sprawled all over the fort. They were all cute: bright eyed, mouths in awe. It always made his heart lighter to see this reaction. These were the people who would first lay down their lives in the event of a Xadian attack. The risk to their own lives was obvious by just looking at the lavafall, but here they were in awe and wonder and eagerness.

Many of them were soldiers from other battalions who were recommended by their commanding officers to join. Then, typically during winter, General Amaya would test and interview these candidates and recruit the soldiers from there. Some – like Corvus – were a happy accident to find because their commanding officer wasn’t going to _voluntarily_ recommend them, because they wanted to keep the soldier for themselves. 

Even though these soldiers arrived already in uniform, because the legal age to join the army was 16, this often meant that many soldiers hadn’t finished growing and would need adjustments in their clothes. Not big adjustments, as thankfully most large growth spurts were done, but adjustments in small increments, due to developing muscles, or due to being at the end of their growth spurts. 

There was also the fact that working near a volcano typically meant their Battalion was sweating through their clothes often. Linen shifts could only do so much, and their clothes tended to wear down faster.

So while General Amaya personally oversaw the training of the troops, Gren typically oversaw, or delegated, the more day-to-day mundane tasks: ordering new uniforms and shifts, stocking up on weapons and food, meals for their livestock, and while not a professional tailor, Gren was skilled enough for the uniforms of the Standing Battalion, so making uniform adjustments for each soldier was another of his typical tasks. 

Then there was Corvus.

General Amaya was thrilled to recruit Corvus. A _skilled_ tracker was something she’d been searching for since Gren had first met her almost four years ago. He could already tell he was going to be a great addition to their team, but he also needed a different type of uniform than the other members of the Standing Battalion.

The three of them had met about this earlier – earth tones for clothing, some padding for his joints – likely leather.

Gren didn’t exactly know where to start for Corvus’ clothes. Thankfully, they were scheduled to meet again and Corvus was to hand him an itemized list. He had said his grandfather was a hunter and taught him how to track, so he already had an idea about what he needed but wanted a little more time to fully come up with the list. Gren was just grateful for the help.

With the excitement of spring and new recruits, Gren couldn’t forget his favorite part of the season: starting new sign language classes for the recruits.

Although…Corvus was probably going to need more signs in his vocabulary than an average recruit. Gren would have to compile a list of words and phrases Corvus was going to need to know as soon as possible.  
  


* * *

Even after a few weeks of getting acclimated to the fort, life in the Standing Battalion was everything and more than Corvus imagined. He felt comfortable in his new uniform - more layers than the typical uniform, but necessary to adjust for different climates quickly. Earth-toned fabric, leather pads, and easy to move around in. He wondered if he should request a scarf or bandana to put around his neck just in case the air was bad, but figured that was a discussion for another time.

The other soldiers in the fort were friendly, especially the members that had been around for a while - they really seemed close, like family. He expected there to be some initiation pranks they would have to go through, but was surprised to find there were none.

“When you’re constantly facing death’s door, you find other ways to develop closeness among your fellow soldiers without the need to humiliate them,” Captain Krea told him one day during training. 

“That, and General Amaya won’t allow it,” Lieutenant Robin added dryly.

General Amaya personally trained the unit as a whole. Higher officers would translate if needed, but there was a beauty in the language of combat without verbal words. She would meet with newer recruits and help them individually, Commander Gren usually translating in those cases since the verbal feedback was needed.

Anytime she would spar with any member of the battalion was always exciting. Being on track to become a Crown Guard, Corvus was used to strict schedules and routines, and it wasn’t that the Standing Battalion _lacked_ those, but General Amaya breaking that routine because she felt a particular soldier would benefit more from an impromptu sparring session was refreshing. Whoever was around would stop and watch, as she would go over techniques and movement tactics, trying to teach her soldiers how to read their opponent’s body language and anticipate their moves. 

Speaking of language, Lieutenant Commander Gren was impressive as well. In addition to being General Amaya’s voice, he seemed to take care of day-to-day things around the fort. There were a few times Corvus would see him tallying things up on paper or helping a new recruit that was frayed. He was very friendly, knew the names of _everyone_ in the Standing Battalion, and tonight was starting his class on basic Katolis Sign Language for all the new recruits.

Corvus sat down on a bench in the mess hall, dinner long done; he enjoyed scoping a place out before things began.

“Good evening, Corvus.” Commander Gren walked in with some papers and a pencil. “You’re here a little early.”

“Commander Gren.” Corvus stood and saluted, the lieutenant commander smiled and saluted back. “I like to scope things out ahead of time,” he reported, hands at his side at attention.

“As you were.” Commander Gren chuckled, and Corvus sat back down relaxing a little, “That makes sense since you’re a tracker. I imagine you’re also good at reading the signs of the room and adapting as things come?” he continued.

Corvus smiled, “When it comes to tracking, yes. Social situations….Eh.” He waved his hand back and forth, “It depends.”

Commander Gren smiled, “I think that’s understandable. To be honest, I actually prefer smaller crowds to large groups or parties. I have a harder time navigating those situations. As long as I’m with General Amaya I’m fine, but otherwise I’m lost.”

Corvus laughed, “I never would’ve guessed that. You’re pretty friendly and outgoing, plus you know _everyone_ and everyone knows you! I would think you’d be a great host at a party.”

The commander continued to set up his papers on the table and grinned to himself, “Maybe. It helps that at different parts of the day or week I end up having to work with everyone at least once. I think that one-on-one communication helps me and the recruit feel more comfortable around each other gradually.” He looked up, “Like all of our small interactions, Corvus.”

And that took Corvus a little by surprise, because he suddenly realized there were a lot of small moments when he interacted with the commander, and it only occurred to him now that maybe the commander made a point to have those small hallway conversations so that he would feel welcome.

“Well, commander, if we are ever invited to the same party, I will do my best to help you. I grew up with my sister and so many cousins around me that parties come naturally to me.”

He smiled back as more recruits started entering, “Thanks, Corvus.” A flash of realization crossed his face and he moved closer, “Before class gets started, I almost forgot to tell you, you actually need to know _more_ words than our average recruit. If you don’t mind staying after class tonight, I can give you the first set of basics.”

Corvus nodded, “Of course. I’m eager to learn.”

That seemed to put a genuine smile on the commander’s face as he gave Corvus a big thumbs-up. “Great! That’s what I like to hear.” 

More recruits came in and the commander resumed his position in the front of the mess hall. Other recruits sat next to Corvus, although he couldn’t remember their names. Class was starting.

“Good evening, everyone. Welcome to your class on the basics of Katolis Sign Language,” Commander Gren started, signing as he spoke. “I’m Commander Gren and I am really excited to see everyone once a week over the next few weeks.

“ **Communication is key to high-performance teamwork**. In the coming weeks you will hear me say this phrase often. It is the mantra I live by. Clear communication is needed to be an effective communicator and being an effective communicator is key to supporting our country, each other, and surviving in our job. You all know the dangers in taking this position, and over the past few weeks or so, hopefully you’ve grown more comfortable with the people here.

“We are like family. We are the front line not only for Katolis but all the human kingdoms, and we don’t take that position lightly. Therefore, we support each other to the best of our abilities. Hence high-performance teamwork, and communication, is needed for that to happen.

“Learning Katolis Sign Language will not only help you understand General Amaya - I promise to teach common words and phrases that she will sign to you and appropriate responses - but it will also make you more aware of your own body language. 

“It is important to understand that we express ourselves with more than just our spoken words. In fact, only about one in three words spoken in the Katolian language is visible on the lips. Context, your body language, your facial expression, if your chin is moved forward or back, how your lips pull to the side, these all impact how General Amaya will read your lips, but it also impacts how you’re expressing yourself. Clear communication is what we’re always aiming for and I want you to start being mindful of what your body is doing and what that is communicating.”

Suddenly Corvus was very aware of how he was sitting: leaning forward, both feet on the ground, arms resting on his knees and head also leaning forward. He guessed that conveyed that he was enthralled about what the commander had to say. He took a quick peek around; the other students were doing the same, the class completely captured by what he was saying.

Who would’ve guessed that a communication class would be so interesting? Then again, every person here wanted to better communicate with General Amaya – she was everyone’s hero.

“Before I tell you the framework of the class and what we’re going to learn, would anyone like to share any good news, questions, or comments?”

They all shook their heads.

“Alright, first day jitters,” he laughed to himself, “I have them too. Then let’s get started with introductions before proceeding to tonight’s lesson...”

* * *

Gren took in a deep breath as he laid on the flat roof of the turret. His secret spot. Well, his _not-completely-secret_ secret spot. Only Corvus knew of it…and probably General Amaya if he was being completely honest with himself, and yet the past few times he came up for a breath of fresh air he had been contently by himself.

Class started this evening, and Gren _thought_ it went well. After introductions, they went over the alphabet and spelling words for the most part, practicing in rotating pairs to help foster community. Next time would be about how the grammatical structure of Katolis Sign Language differed from the written and spoken Katolis language. Even with no notice, Corvus was kind enough to stay afterwards and Gren was able to teach him a few phrases to try to help with the missions he was likely to face.

Overall, he _thought_ it went well, but his heart was still beating faster than normal and his mind still buzzed with first day jitters. Lying outside, looking for stars as the business of fort life went on without him for the night, was just what he needed.

However, the sounds of stomping coming up the ladder indicated that Gren’s peaceful night under the stars was going to slip away soon. He sighed as he sat up.

“What a jerk!” _Corvus_ – _angry_ , he noted. Hopefully Gren wasn’t the jerk, otherwise this was going to get uncomfortable very quickly.

Sure enough Corvus’ head popped up. “Oh, Commander Gren…” His temper cooled instantly – _disappointed_. “I didn’t realize you would be up here. I thought…I didn’t mean to disturb your peace. I’ll head back down.” – _Sadness_? Maybe Corvus needed some time to himself with no one around.

“No, no. That’s alright! Stay! It sounds like you can use the fresh air and a little privacy. I’ll go.”

Corvus climbed all the way up, although his feet were still dangling over the ladder like he was undecided. “No, no. I intruded on your space…”

And for a moment Gren thought they were going to do that awkward song-and-dance where one person keeps insisting the other person does something out of politeness. ( _“You can stay” – “No, I insist you should stay.”_) He could practically hear it in his mind.

“...But the fresh air is nice, if you’re sure I’m not bothering you.” Gren looked up and could see Corvus give him a faint smile, now only one leg dangling. It was then that Gren noticed Corvus seemed to be holding a couple pieces of paper in his hand, and Gren was fairly certain that the “jerk” he previously heard was not in reference to him.

“I don’t mind at all.” Gren shook his head, “If you want to vent, I’m happy to listen.” He patted the ground next to him, “But, by all means, you’re not obligated to. I’m fine sitting in silence.”

Corvus sat next to him and just leaned against the wall. He fiddled with the papers and sighed a few times. Gren got the impression that Corvus didn’t want to talk about it, and decided to go back to looking up at the sky and trying to count the stars.

“Do you keep in touch with your friends back home?” The question came out of nowhere, and hit Gren harder than it should have.

The initial knee-jerk thought, a truth he would not voice in front of anyone besides Amaya: _No, he doesn’t keep in touch with friends back home because he never really had any_ real friends _of his own. He mostly stayed with his family, and he liked any friend of Askur, and happily translated for Askur, but those friends had never really gotten to know_ him _._

But when Gren turned to look at Corvus, and saw him still fiddling with the paper, he remembered: _that wasn’t meant to be an actual question, it was a conversation starter._

“So is your friend back home being a jerk?” Gren asked softly.

“ _Heh_ , I didn’t realize you heard that. Well, he’s not exactly from back home, but from my last Battalion, and yes - he’s being a complete jerk.”

_Oh_ , _someone from the Crown Guard track._

“We were the youngest two members in the track. He even got special permission to join at 14 because his dad works with the king. We were pretty close, y’know? So when I got my dream job working for General Amaya you would think he would be happy for me, but _no,_ he was so upset he kept calling me _traitor_. I thought he would cool off once he started getting letters from me – show that I didn’t just _forget him_ – but his letters are just – _erg_!” Corvus gripped the letters tighter, “Listen to this one: “ _If you weren’t a dumb traitor then you would know that a “cool lavafall” is actually hot not cool. So think about that while you’re looking at it, traitor._ ” Like, _seriously_?”

Gren cringed, yup, that was pretty bad on a few different levels. He tried to recover quickly, “Sounds like he’s still hurt that you left…” 

“Yea…” His knees were curled up to his chest now – _defensive, maybe he felt vulnerable_?

A small silence; what would be _helpful_ to say? “As you heard me say earlier…” Gren started, “Communication is key to high-performance teamwork, right? Well, friendship is teamwork. It’s two communication paths. It’s frustrating when only one side is doing all the communicating.”

“Exactly!” Corvus exasperated, his arms flailing out and legs dropping to the ground. Gren felt instantly better seeing Corvus’ body language open up. Maybe his words were effective? 

“So maybe give your friend a little time. I’m sure if he cherishes your friendship as much as you do he’ll come around. And maybe, until then, give yourself a little space from him too. His responses to your letters are as much of an adjustment for you as you leaving was to him. That’s not to say to stop writing to him, but maybe don’t push yourself to do it as often.”

A small smile spread across Corvus’ face as he looked at the letters, “Yea…I think you’re right. Maybe just a little time and space is what we both need.” He turned to face Gren. “Thank you, Commander Gren.”

“Happy I could help.” Gren smiled back; he had helped many members of the Standing Battalion before, but never about something so personal. His heart felt lighter, this was nice. Was this how it felt to help a friend? Amaya was his best friend, but there was definitely a part of Gren that longed to give friendship with Corvus a try...

“And, please, as long as we’re not on official work business, just call me Gren - no ‘commander’ needed.” This was the first step towards friendship, or at least, Gren _hoped_ it was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   * "Communication is the key to high-performance teamwork" - Commander Gren, _The Dragon Prince Book One: Moon_ , p.166
>   * " _Commander Gren - Likes: Strawberry shortcake; Amaya; _Corvus;_ peace and quiet; noodle dishes"_ \- _Callum's Spellbook_
> 

> 
> * * *
> 
>   * Thank you for reading, until the next time, stay as safe as you can and know that you're loved. :)  
> 
>   * _"I love you. You're probably thinking, 'You don't even know me.' But if people can hate for no reason, I can love."_  
>  \- Unknown
> 



	2. Battle of the Breach

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Trigger warnings:** vomiting, depiction of war-torn battlefields, OC Character death, reference to PTSD
> 
>  **Note:** The number of soldiers for this battle was based on the brief flashback clip from 2x06 - “Heart of Titan”, then finding out each flag piece meant 500 soldiers in 3x04 - “The Midnight Dessert”.

* * *

Walking back into the fortress of the Standing Battalion, Corvus could feel something was off. There were notably fewer people in the bailey and walking along the battlements. Still, Corvus stayed focused and headed straight for General Amaya’s office to give his full report on this past mission.

“General Amaya.” Corvus said sternly as he saluted, bringing his fist to his heart. 

The general smiled at him, “C-o-r-v-u-s.” She spelled out his name with a small smile. “How did the mission go?” He translated in his head slowly. It’d been about a month and a half since he started taking Gren’s recruit level class where he learned the alphabet, and some key words. Thankfully, after each class Gren pulled him to the side to teach him specific words and phrases he was likely to encounter more than the average recruit. “Mission” was definitely one of those words. 

“Very well,” he nodded and started to look around. He appreciated the general signing slower for him, but he was used to a certain freckled lieutenant commander acting as her voice… But not today? 

General Amaya smiled, “G-r-e-n is not here today.” She paused, “Translator?” She signed, her expression conveying it was a question but a small grin on her face telling him that she was not offended. 

“No, no need.” He blushed, still feeling a little embarrassed despite her assurances, “Thank you for going slow, I’m still learning.” 

“I know.” She grinned. 

Corvus relaxed a little at that. He would never want to let his general down. “I will continue with my report then…” 

“Yes, thank you.” She signed. 

Corvus continued recounting his covert mission on the Xadia side. He showed General Amaya the rough maps he drew regarding the locations of the Sunfire elves, how Thunder’s flying route had stayed consistent, and that further research was still needed on the Moonshadow elves’ location. 

General Amaya studied the charts, and nodded. “Good. Thanks.” She smiled, “I will think on this.” She signed slowly, “Return tomorrow for another briefing.” 

Corvus nodded. 

“Dismissed.” She signed, and Corvus nodded again, but hesitated before he left. 

“Umm… General Amaya, if I may be so bold as to ask, where _is_ Commander Gren?” 

General Amaya raised an eyebrow. 

Corvus paused, _was_ that too bold to ask? Corvus knew he and Gren weren’t especially _close_ but he thought they were…well, _friendly_ towards each other. The commander did ask him to just call him by his first name...so that was _something,_ right? Scratch that, it was too bold to ask - much too personal. 

“Are you friends?” General Amaya asked. 

Corvus looked away and hesitated, “My apologies, it was too personal to ask. We’ve had some friendly conversations is all, but I don’t think you could call us officially friends.” 

General Amaya nodded in understanding, then a light seemed to go off in her head. “C-h-a-n-g-e t-o-p-i-c-s.” She signed then gestured to a paper on her desk, “Check the calendar.” 

Corvus leaned in closer, was today an important date? He looked, _oh_ , it was _that_ day in June… 

General Amaya looked at him with knowing eyes, “Your mother… she served, right?” 

“Yes. Thank you for your understanding. I will write to her.” 

General Amaya nodded and placed a hand on Corvus’ shoulder in solidarity before letting him leave. 

It was the 4th anniversary of the most recent Battle of the Breach. 

* * *

Gren spent the day at the Xadian outpost with another cluster of soldiers. A priest had been sent to the Breach earlier this week, and prayers and ceremonies to remember the dead had started two days ago. Gren never felt like he needed to be part of the first two remembrance groups. The third day of remembrance served him better and felt more personal, since that was the day his older sister had died.

The Battle of the Breach.

Gren was no tactician, but he contemplated the battle in some capacity a few times a month, and more-so when the anniversary approached. Considering the year’s worth of prep leading up to it, the battle itself was swift, the retreat hasty, and in hindsight, it was evident that the higher levels knew there would be a high blood cost. So many questions lingered, though: why summer? The days were longer. Why not winter, when the _nights_ were longer and provided more cover so more troops could get into Xadia?

He already knew the answers: in the winter there would be difficulties in mobilizing needed weaponry for the size of attack that was planned. Food was more plentiful during the summer and made for a stronger army. Lastly, the longer days meant that Thunder patrolled the skies for longer, and the shorter nights meant that he might not be fully rested. At least, these were the reasons he was initially told as an Aide-de-Camp when he first enlisted, and Gren found himself repeating those reasons to himself to try to bring some semblance of certainty that there was no other way – this was unavoidable, the deaths _had_ to happen and they _meant_ something.

Thankfully, Gren’s battalion never found themselves on the Xadian side during that battle, but Gren did. He was pulled out of his battalion and found himself next to people of status and power he would have never imagined being near, and he could still recall the breakdown of the plans:

Day 1: Group forces at the Breach. Move as many troops and weapons to the Xadian outpost as possible for quick invasion into Xadian territory.

Night 1: Move as many large weapons and troops to the Xadian side as possible. Be battle ready - the fight starts at dawn.

Day 2: The battle ( _slaughter_ \- he notes) begins, but more troops are coming in from the breach for reinforcements. Large weapons come in fewer supplies now. New soldiers are expected to take control of the weapons left behind by the first round.

Night 2: Keep attacking Thunder. Don’t let him rest. New soldiers will come in.

Day 3: Same as the day before: keep up the front. Don’t let Thunder rest. A steady stream of soldiers come into the Xadia side and will continue the attack.

… But that was the thing, Thunder didn’t seem like he _needed_ rest. A storm came in and renewed his energy, his attacks grew stronger and the morale of the Katolis troops was weakening. Dead colleagues can surround you for only so long before you feel effects of hopelessness sink in. In addition, troops could never come in quickly enough to replace those lost in battle because of the narrow pathway of the Breach. ( _Though that turned out to be a blessing; who knows how many lives that saved._ )

By the afternoon of the third day - the second day of actual battle - Katolis troops started the retreat. Over seven hundred soldiers were left dead in Xadia, hundreds more injured and thousands never seeing the battle at all – just the effects.

The battle led to many changes in his life. Gren first met General Amaya during the battle because his skills as a Katolis Sign Language interpreter reached her. She had “borrowed” him from his commanding officer. 

He had first met Lord Viren at the Xadian outpost as General Amaya gave him a mouthful (of which he interpreted) about the stupidity and recklessness of the battle. ( _“The blood price is high, but it will ultimately make the human kingdoms safer.” – “Bull sh-it! Who will be here to defend the kingdom when Xadia wants their revenge? Our army will be dead and Katolis open for the elves!”_ )

He spoke for General Amaya to King Harrow for the first time, _“Throwing away the lives of your people_ _Is Not_ _the way to avenge her, Harrow!”_

Throughout the battle, as she quickly signed her anger, Gren was there to interpret beat-by-beat, a battle of words. 

Finally, the order to retreat, and General Amaya, along with King Harrow and Lord Viren, was going to ride into the Xadian side to call the orders. She paused for just a small moment, long enough to probably assess that Gren had never been in battle, and signed to him, “Brace yourself.”

He nodded and took General Amaya’s hand, and shared her horse while riding into Xadia. 

The air was hot, dry, and full of static, the sounds of screams and clanging iron deafening. Blood ran from stones, turned the dirt to mud, and bodies lay limp around them, battering rams and ballistas overturned. It was hard to focus, but he tried, he shouted the words the troops desperately needed to hear, “RETREAT! RETREAT!”

When they made it back and adrenaline was no longer pumping through his blood Gren threw up several times, unable to stomach the images he saw any longer. General Amaya knelt beside him and rubbed his back in understanding. After he was finished she signed, “You did well to hang in there for this long. Thank you for being my voice.”

Gren nodded, already fiercely loyal to the General, and continued being by her side for the coming days.

General Amaya was also by Gren’s side. As the aftermath of the battle could start to be tallied, she was there when Gren received news that his older sister, Embla, died on the last day of battle from a sword in her back. Most likely, falling back into it during battle. 

The world melted around him and General Amaya kept him steady. She watched as he paced around the room and rambled on about how it was impossible, tears streaming down his face. Finally, a wail escaped his mouth as he fell to his knees crying hysterically. He had never heard his voice make that sound before, but no words could properly describe the wave of grief that hit him. In that moment, Amaya grabbed him by the shoulders and hugged him - an enlisted soldier, whom she'd only just met, but her eyes told him that she _knew_. She really _knew_ what he was feeling. Meeting General Amaya was the only good thing about that battle. 

Gren was only seventeen and a half then - _Heh,_ he smiled, _that’s Corvus’ age now._ He thought to himself. _I hope Corvus never has to experience something like that..._

A new thought: _I hope he didn’t_ _already_ _experience something like that._

“Commander Gren.” Gren looked up – thoughts interrupted. “The service is about to begin. Would you like to join us?” Lieutenant Robin asked gently.

“Yes,” Gren replied, “Of course. Sorry, I was just lost in thought.” He smiled, embarrassed.

“Many of us are, on days like today. Come, let’s grieve together.”

* * *

Corvus was exhausted. He should be in bed - no, he should be already asleep by now. The air in the fortress was still heavy. Soldiers were going in groups to the Xadia post for service, rotating their shifts accordingly. 

_Tomorrow will probably feel like this too._ Corvus thought to himself as he looked over the wall of the turret towards Katolis - home. _I wonder how mom is doing today._ _I hope Chlo, Asha, and dad are keeping her busy._

It was the second time he was away from his mom during the anniversary of the Battle of the Breach, and even though he had just sent her a letter, he still felt guilty for not being there with her in person. 

Corvus turned to the ladder, hearing someone approach - _oh,_ his muscles relaxed. “Commander Gren, I wasn’t expecting to see you today,” he said upon the first sight of ginger hair.

“Oh, Corvus.” Gren pulled himself up and sat down, leaning against the wall Corvus was looking out from, “Please, just Gren is fine, and I wasn’t expecting to see you either. How did your mission go?” A surprisingly normal conversation, all things considered.

Corvus smiled and moved to sit next to Gren, “It went well, thanks. I was able to draw maps of the enemy locations. General Amaya wants to meet tomorrow for a follow up report.”

Gren smiled, “That’s great! I look forward to looking at them and catching up.”

Corvus could feel his guard come down further. He and the lieutenant commander might not be _friends_ , but his smile always seemed encouraging. With Soren still replying to his letters as “Traitor” and with minimal inquiry about his new life, it just felt nice that his commanding officer would take such an interest. 

_Wait_. _Was_ Gren his commanding officer? He always reported directly to General Amaya; was it even appropriate to be friends with his commanding officers? In the Crown Guard, definitely not - the chain of command must be strictly followed - but things here seemed oddly relaxed in that regard.

“I was surprised not to see you when I returned,” Corvus admitted, creating an opportunity to talk more personally. This had all the potential to backfire because Corvus could infer what Gren must’ve been doing. He could guess that these days must be painful for him as well. However, there was a part of Corvus that wanted to talk about the battle, to share his hurt from his family and to feel connected in that way. He was not with his family to share in their pain, but he felt like Gren was the type of person to whom he could entrust that, and even share his own, if he felt comfortable enough.

A small hollow chuckle, “Yea, I was on the Xadian outpost for service, but I wanted to be back by dark, and well…” He gestured to the night sky, “Here I am.”

That laugh wasn’t the commander’s though; strike that, it wasn’t _Gren’s_ laugh. He must’ve been hurting today too. He had been at service. Maybe he’d lost someone. Maybe that laugh was his way of trying to cover the pain. 

Corvus nodded, a small, “That checks out.” escaping him, a Crown Guard phrase. Hopefully, Gren didn’t notice. 

He looked at the ground; how do you ask someone if they are okay? _Really_ okay? Should he pry more into Gren’s statement? Could he just share his sadness and then maybe Gren would share his? Or even if Gren wanted to keep his experience private, was it okay for Corvus to talk about what happened? Gren would stop him if he was uncomfortable, right? 

“I miss my mom,” he said softly, eyes still on the ground, barely registering that he’d even said it himself. There was a part of his brain that registered that Gren turned toward him, gave him his full attention. “She was a general in that battle, fought with her battalion on the final day, Thunder attacked with his tail and several ballistas were overturned. My mom was trapped under one of them, the weight crushing her legs, she was removed from the battle - lost her legs but came out with her life. Still…the loss of her troops, it weighs on her to this day, and the anniversary is especially hard.” He paused, still staring at the ground, a few tears escaping, “I should _be there_.”

There was a pregnant pause before he felt Gren’s hand on his shoulder, “That checks out.”

…Wait, _what_? Corvus immediately looked up and looked at Gren, who notably seemed to be trying to hold a straight face. Corvus laughed as he wiped his tears, “I don’t know what I was expecting, but I was _not_ expecting _that_.” He said while another burst of laughter escaped him, cutting the tense air.

Gren seemed relieved the joke went through, a small smile on his face. “I’ve found that sometimes laughing with the pain helps,” he said softly, his demeanor also looking more relaxed, “I hear you though, Corvus. You’re not alone in those feelings.”

Another pause, although the air was less thick now.

“I’m sure your mom can feel your love for her. Knowing you, you probably wrote,” Gren said.

Corvus felt a little heat rise to his cheeks, “Am I that easy to read?”

Gren grinned and shook his head, “No; well, not on that, you mention your letters sometimes in our conversations.”

He had never realized he did that, but it made sense that they would've come up.

“Your family seems close. You have cousins, aunties, and uncles in your town too if I remember correctly.” Gren turned to him, his expression indicating he wanted confirmation.

Corvus nodded.

“So I’m sure your family is supporting her with all their love too,” he said softly.

A small smile escaped Corvus. It didn’t necessarily alleviate all the guilt, but the words were comforting and even voicing his feelings helped him feel better. “Thank you, for listening,” he replied quietly.

Gren nudged his shoulder, “Anytime, what are friends for?”

And his chest bloomed with warmth at the mention of the word: _friend_. Gren felt it too. 

“Hey, um, if you ever need to get something off your chest, I’m happy to listen to you too.”

Gren’s smile lessened slightly and he looked at the ground, “Thanks.” There was another pause, “For tonight, would you mind sticking around just a little longer?” He looked up at Corvus, and again with that soft smile, “It’s nice – having company.”

“That checks out,” he said nonchalantly, happy that Gren started laughing afterwards. It was nice to pay that forward. After Gren’s laughter died down he continued, “What are friends for?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * Thank you for reading, until the next time, stay as safe as you can and know that you're loved. :)  
>  _"I love you. You're probably thinking, 'You don't even know me.' But if people can hate for no reason, I can love."_ \- Unknown


	3. Defend and Retreat

* * *

Gren could hardly believe it was already Prince Callum’s birthday. He also couldn’t believe he was now twelve years old. In his mind, he could still see that little eight year old he had first met, and now he was one year away from being an official teenager. The party so far was good, lots of food and people to mingle with. His normal party strategies of sticking close to General Amaya, having pre-thought-out conversation starters when people interacted with him, and having a friendly face on while observing the crowd were working out well so far. The one thing Gren was having a harder time dealing with was seeing Prince Callum’s friends - Soren, specifically.

Gren had no younger siblings of his own, but enjoyed kids. He appreciated the times he was able to spend with the two young princes when Amaya visited them. But Gren was more of an expert on language development than child development, so he took in everything children did with the understanding that he just might not understand kids.

He also saw the boys every several months for lengthier periods of time, usually a few days per trip, including during the winter solstice festivities, so any changes to the boys' interests, growths and personalities weren’t as jarring as any changes in Lord Viren’s two children – whom he mostly only saw during the boys’ birthday celebration parties.

He remembered Soren from when they had first met at Callum’s eighth birthday party. If he remembered correctly, Soren was probably around eleven at that time. Gren had heard that he was a sickly boy but was impressed by how healthy he seemed to be then. The older boy said he was exercising more, and in the following year, he remembered him expressing his ambition to become a Crown Guard. Gren always got the impression that Soren wanted his father’s recognition. During parties his blue eyes would flicker to Lord Viren often, as if checking to see where he was and if the high mage was watching him.

That’s why the next few times he saw Soren, he was a little surprised by how much more… _aggressive_ (?) he seemed. That probably wasn’t the right word, but it was hard to pin it down. _Confident?_ _Arrogant?_ _Changed_. Definitely changed. His eyes still flickered to his dad, but not nearly as often, and he walked around with an air about him. A falseness that Gren wasn’t sure if he should admire in a 13-year-old for putting on a brave face during (arguably) the most awkward years transitioning from childhood into the expectations of adulthood, or if he should feel bad because he remembered going through that awkward time too.

Last year, Soren was…happy. He seemed pleased to be allowed in the Crown Guard track at such a young age, and Gren even had a nice conversation with him. He loved exercising and training at that point. The regiment seemed to give him genuine confidence and purpose, and Gren shrugged off the previous year as that awkward transition year. 

This year, the two times he saw Soren, he was at two different places in terms of personality. During Prince Ezran’s birthday earlier this year he was a little _off,_ but that was understandable considering there had been an assassination attempt on the king’s life. (One that, thankfully, Corvus had stopped.) He had a new scar on his left eye, and had just seemed shaken – but _everyone_ was a little shaken. He mentioned being more committed to exercise and studying combat strategies. But now, during Callum’s birthday, Soren was back to having that air around him again and Gren just couldn’t figure out why. It even spilled into his relationship with Callum.

Some of the words or body language Soren would use with the prince made Gren perturbed. It felt like he was picking on the young prince and Gren couldn’t decide if he should say something or not.

On one hand, Prince Callum would probably speak up if it bothered him a lot; on the other hand, what if Callum felt too uncomfortable to speak up and was just hoping the problem would go away? Did Soren even realize that he seemed to be hurting Prince Callum’s feelings? They were friends – you wouldn’t _intentionally_ hurt your friend. That made no sense!

Gren ultimately decided he could only hear Soren mumble _"step-prince"_ so many times before finally looking for an opportunity to address this when no one else was around. He took a deep breath, signaled to Amaya that he would be back in a moment, and walked to the column where Soren was scanning the crowd.

“That scar above your eye seems to have fully healed. It looks nice.” Gren started the conversation; better to start on a friendly note rather than: _stop calling Prince Callum step-prince_.

“Yea! Thanks! I saw my friend have this cool scar over his eyebrow so I tried to shave mine, but then I accidentally cut it and– ** _bam_** ! An actual scar! _Heh_ , it worked out so perfectly.” Soren was actually smiling, and the conversation so far felt nice.

The crown-guard-in-training stopped examining the crowd then and turned to him, his expression dropping as he recognized Gren. – _Disappointment_ , Gren noted, although he wasn’t sure as to why.

“What do you want?” He asked flatly, returning to scanning the crowd.

Gren could feel his nervousness setting in: butterflies in his stomach, heart rate going up. He was putting himself out in a social situation with a person he didn’t know well, and even though he used to talk to him once per party when he was a kid, Soren now had the build of a young adult in height. This wasn’t a situation of a teacher scolding a kid for name-calling; this was one adult telling an _almost_ adult to stop being mean. This was closer to a peer interaction than Gren had first assessed, and the realization of that confrontation made Gren uneasy.

“Well, I usually talk with you during the boys’ birthday parties.”

“Oh, well, not sure why. Not like we’re friends.” 

_Cold tone_ , he noted. Gren wasn’t sure why, but Soren was clearly communicating that he wanted nothing to do with him. Still, Gren had a mission: he was going to say that calling Prince Callum _step-prince,_ even though it was under his breath, was hurtful. He just had to stay focused.

“Speaking of friends,” he smiled, transitioning onto his mission, “I couldn’t help but overhear you call Prince Callum the ‘ _step-_ prince’ instead of his name a couple of times today – you know, on his _birthday_.” 

Soren turned to look at Gren and raised an eyebrow.

“Even if today _wasn’t_ the prince’s birthday, I still think that nickname is probably very hurtful.” Gren continued.

Soren looked away, “Well you’re wrong. Callum, I mean _Prince Callum_ , and I have been friends since we were kids. He knows I’m just teasing. I would give up my life to protect him, but he needs to grow a thicker skin.” He turned back to Gren, eyes flashing, “And you should learn to butt out, or are you going to take this friend from me too?”

“What?”

“ _Erg,_ ” He rolled his eyes, “Never mind. I’m going to go talk to _my actual friends_ now. You can continue to do your hand-language-thingie or friend-stealing-thingie somewhere where else for all I care.” Then he walked away.

All of his previous anxieties now hit Gren in full force. He searched for General Amaya’s location in the large hall akin to how a person drowning would search for a floating log in the water. He didn’t exactly know what he had expected, but it certainly wasn’t _that_.

* * *

July was the first time in the fort without General Amaya, and Corvus was a little unsure what to expect. Turns out, in terms of training, it wasn’t too different, except senior officers now took over training duty and Gren’s sign language class took a little break - with the expectation that they would be practicing on their own, of course.

Half of the week Corvus would find himself continuing his physical practice with the rest of the battalion - keeping up skills needed of all soldiers, but on the remaining three days he was allowed to train on his own in the forest about a morning’s walk away - practicing skills he specifically needed as a tracker. Today, thankfully, was one of those days.

It was nice to be in the forest working on his tree hopping footwork, and practicing with his bladed fleur-de-lis, but it was especially nice to get away from the rumor mill that seemed to suddenly spring up in General Amaya’s absence.

The most common rumor being that General Amaya and Lieutenant Commander Gren were secretly “in a relationship”. Because that was the “only reason” why a soldier who doesn’t wield a weapon would get promoted to such a high position. Apparently, it also explained why General Amaya seemed to be more tolerant of officers dating enlisted soldiers under their chain of command, because she was, according to the rumor, doing this herself. (Although, Corvus still held plenty of doubt regarding both stories.) 

Corvus, personally, thought his fellow new recruits should stop gossiping before their class ended up with a bad reputation of being nosy. The veteran soldiers did, thankfully, put a stop to the rumors if they overheard them. They would say something among the lines of “this comes up every year”, “I used to think so too, but no” and “you’ll see as you work here longer”. 

The best description to try to halt the rumor was Terrance saying that he thought about General Amaya and Commander Gren as the figurative mother and father of the battalion – both looking after their family in different ways. Furthermore, children don’t want to give _any thought_ into their parents' love life and, as the figurative children in this metaphor, the battalion should also not pry into their love life. – Corvus would have to agree there. Regardless of their personal situation, or lack of it, it wasn’t anyone’s business so he wished for the rumor to _just stop_.

But then that brought up the next pressing question to some of his fellow young recruits: was Commander Gren single? Because there was no denying the man was attractive, but in addition he was also very “friendly”, and “kind”, and “ _optimistic_ ". He would be a “very good life partner”.

Corvus had to agree that Gren was… _cute_. His freckled-splashed face and soft blue eyes were usually full of eagerness and life, but what was the point in looking into the lieutenant commander’s love life? If Gren was interested in someone then surely Gren would _show interest_ in that someone. He was the guy that was always talking about body language so naturally he would put out some sort of _signal_ , right?

Until then it was best to realize, and accept, that someone could be attractive and single, and _not want to be in a relationship_.

Corvus sighed; personally, he tried not to mix work and romantic relationships, but he guessed it wasn’t necessarily fair to expect that of others.

Still, at least today he got a break from the gossip, got to work off some of this frustration, and he was planning on making the best of that. Plus, starting tomorrow, he’d be on leave and visiting his family! That’d be a nice break too.

He wondered how big Asha had gotten. Wondered if they had any new recipes in the bakery. He could visit Kendrik and Boss - who was really getting up there in age, Bibi and Pops were getting up there too. Auntie Russom and Jel would be nice to see. He hadn’t been writing letters to his extended family, but his mom tried to keep him in the loop regarding family matters.

And, even though it’d been over a year and a half, maybe he could see Leo… 

And maybe this time it wouldn’t be so damn difficult…

Corvus lost his footing, and slipped. Dangling by the branch of a tree seemed like an oddly fitting punishment for thinking of Leo, since that was figuratively how their relationship seemed to have ended.

He pulled himself back up and laid on top of the large branch for a moment. A messenger crow flew past him, probably towards the Breach.

Corvus brushed his mop of curls back and ran his hand across his face. His fellow recruits might be in a rush to get into a relationship, but did they realize how hard it is to _be_ in a relationship? Or deal with the aftermath of one? Urg, maybe visiting wouldn’t be all fun after all. 

* * *

It was still early morning and Gren had just finished lingering paperwork when Amaya stepped into the room.

“General Amaya!” Gren smiled and saluted. “I’m ready to return home tomorrow.”

She smiled weakly and saluted back. Her behavior seemed… _hesitant?_

“What’s wrong? Did I mess things up at Prince Callum’s party yesterday? I’m sor-” And Amaya put a finger to his lips.

“Stop. You were fine.” She gave him _that look_ , and Gren calmed down. “We don’t usually talk about our personal lives, but it occurred to me this past June that there might be someone who you would benefit from talking to.”

The fact that Amaya was being uncharacteristically diplomatic while signing to him, and the mention that this idea came in June, made Gren instantly apprehensive about whatever the general was planning.

She could sense it, and changed tones, “First, I’m going regardless if you join me.” She signed, serious again. “Second, I’m not trying to overstep any boundaries.”

“I know.” Gren signed, because he did. Amaya would never intentionally do anything that wouldn’t be in his best interest. She helped him when he was grieving over his sister, helped him fly through the ranks at every advancement point in his career so she could keep him by her side, she invited him to family events and gave him the only semblance of family since he left home. She had always looked out for him and always would. And he would do the same. 

He took a deep breath and signed. “I’m ready to hear the idea.”

“The commanding officer of Embla’s battalion survived the battle. I think it would be good for both of you if you were able to meet and talk. Maybe share some stories.”

Gren’s heart rate increased, because the idea that there was someone else that _knew_ his sister, and was willing to talk with him, was mind-shattering. He brought his index and middle fingers to his temple, rubbing his forehead. Embla had mentioned her commanding officer a few times in the letters. _What was her name? What was her name?_

“General…Tish?” _No…that seemed too informal._ “General Tishala?” He finally remembered while looking up at Amaya, spelling out the name.

She gave a small smile and nodded. “She now lives full-time in Port Town with her family. In addition to meeting her, I think you would enjoy meeting her family. She has a young daughter, two years old, I think. You were great with Ez when he was little. I think you would have fun.” She nudged him.

“So, like a vacation?” He signed, raising an eyebrow.

“Just for a day or two on our way back to the Breach.”

“I haven’t talked with anyone about Embla except you…” Gren thought aloud.

Amaya placed her hand over Gren’s, her eyes conveying her compassion and support without the need for words.

“And you’re going regardless of my decision?” he continued verbally.

She nodded, and Gren nodded to himself – processing. 

While the thought of meeting someone else that actually knew his sister was exciting, it was also a little scary. His sister always believed and supported him; encouraged him to do things because it was what he _wanted_ to do – not what he was _expected_ to do. In the last six years of her life their relationship had been primarily through letters, but she had still helped guide him through his early teenage years without even being physically present. Truthfully, he probably put Embla on a pedestal, and that’s why meeting someone that saw her everyday was a little scary. What if General Tishala’s version of Embla didn’t match his image of his sister? But then again, wasn’t it better to know the full version of a person and accept them for who they are, the good and the bad?

Gren steeled his face. “I’ll join you.” He signed and nodded.

Amaya’s smile grew as she stood up. “Good. Oh! There’s more.”

“More?”

“General Tishala is Corvus’ mother, so he will likely be on vacation there.”

Gren looked down, thinking back on their conversation. Corvus’ mother…the one who lost her legs during the Battle of the Breach, who felt the loss of her battalion like a weight.

Amaya briefly placed her hand back on Gren’s, recapturing his attention, before signing, “I didn’t realize the connection until I saw Corvus last month.” She continued, “So I wrote, and was pleased to hear from her. I strongly believe this will be good for both you and the general.” She reassured him with a small smile.

And Amaya was probably right, as she so frequently was; maybe talking with him would be just as healing for the general as it would be for Gren. 

He nodded, “I think you’re right.”

“When am I wrong?” She winked with a grin and it brought a smile to Gren’s face.

“I will give Corvus notice and then we’ll leave tomorrow morning.” She signed.

“I can write if you want to spend more time with the princes in privacy,” Gren offered, gesturing to the other paperwork on the desk as if saying _one more thing to do doesn’t hurt_.

“Thank you, I will take you up on that offer.” Amaya smiled, “Will you join me later? They enjoy spending time with you, too.”

Gren instantly smiled, “Of course, I love the boys.” 

Amaya smiled back, “I know, they love you too. How about meeting mid-afternoon? I would like to take the boys on a walk.”

Gren gave two thumbs up with a wink. “Sounds good.”

Amaya half grinned at his antics and shook her head fondly before leaving the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had fun naming this chapter since they all "defended" something:  
> Gren - _Defend_ : Callum, _Retreat_ : Back to Amaya  
> Corvus - _Retreat_ : Away from the rumor mill, _Defend_ : his feeling regarding relationships to himself  
> Amaya - _Defend_ : (although more like persuade) Gren into seeing General Tishala, _Retreat_ : time with her nephews :)
> 
> * Thank you for reading, until the next time, stay as safe as you can and know that you're loved. :)  
>  _"I love you. You're probably thinking, 'You don't even know me.' But if people can hate for no reason, I can love."_ \- Unknown


	4. Sisters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Edit (14th of Sept)** : My apologies, but I will be a little longer in updating this fic. School started and it's an adjustment. :) However, I will post a fluffy Corvus/Gren College AU on the 20th of September (with no plot - just lots of fluff) as writing that has been my stress reliever. :D  
> Updates for this fic will likely be Oct, when school has settled a bit.  
> And, again, thank you to anyone who reads this. :)  
> _________________________________________________  
>  **Note** : Corvus’ older sister is nicknamed Chlo - /k-low/
> 
>  **Trigger warnings** : references to death (only in the second part)

* * *

Unexpected. Corvus could best summarize the past 48 hours as _unexpected_.

As he, begrudgingly, sat on the bench of the upstairs loft of his family’s house, small cuts and scrapes on his face, with his sister fussing over his hair and needing to “fix it”, Corvus tried to itemize the unexpected events: 

First, he received a letter from Gren saying that he and General Amaya were going to visit his mom, and their trips might overlap. He appreciated the notice, but it was, well, _unexpected_. 

Second, it was equally _unexpected_ to actually run into the pair on their last leg of the trip - he didn’t know the exact date they left, but they must’ve made excellent time. 

Third, being ambushed by bandits while on the last leg because the general looked like she “had some money to spare” was _unexpected_. 

Fourth, while he had heard that Gren didn’t fight with a weapon, it was _unexpected_ that Gren would try to talk the bandits down. Although, he supposed, it was a good distraction for some of the bandits and let General Amaya and him fight off the more focused ones. (And, actually, fighting with General Amaya in a _real battle_ was amazing.) Still, worrying about Gren during the battle didn’t help. That man could potentially become a hostage _way too easily_. 

Fifth, it was _unexpected_ to see his ex-boyfriend and (what must be) his new boyfriend while riding towards the town’s stable. Corvus was friendly, waved and smiled, but still…his face a little scraped and body tired – not his best look. 

Sixth, and most upsetting, it was _unexpected_ to see his little two-year-old sister, Asha, hide behind Chlo’s legs as they entered the house. “It’s just a shy phase” his older sister had told him, but that didn’t take the sting out. Asha was so upset that she was now spending time with Kendrik because _of course_ she would be scared of her own brother but not their cousin and Corvus’ childhood rival. 

Last, he _expected_ to get a little more time with his mother, but as happy as she was to see him, she could see him “anytime” over the next week and “General Amaya and Commander Gren are our honored guests”. General Amaya did deserve the special treatment, but it also stung. 

He sighed. 

At least the bakery shop still looked good, pretty much exactly how he remembered it. The main floor was mostly the bakery store. From entering the house, there was a counter space on the left side – for displaying food and allowing it to cool, additional shelving units were behind it for similar purposes, as well as a door that led to the adjoining kitchen building outside. The wall opposite to the counters had built-in shelves for storing items that could be preserved, and between the two walls were tables and seating - in case customers wanted to eat in. The only section that wasn’t part of the bakery was towards the back of the house, which had a staircase leading to the second floor, a small washing room under the staircase, as well as a door that led to what was now his parents’ bedroom. Originally, Pops and Grams lived with them and slept on the main floor in the four-post bed. They were so proud when they could finally buy one. “A family heirloom”, they called it.

The second floor, which they were fortunate enough to have, consisted of a giant open loft with a few pieces of furniture, all able to fold up in some manner to conserve space, scattered along the perimeter. The back and longest wall looked like storage cabinets with benches in front of it, but they were actually three box beds with sliding wooden doors. Here, most of the family would sleep – it was especially nice in the winter, plus it was the only place where he could have any privacy growing up.

All three “benches” actually opened at the top for storage and could even slide out for additional storage under the bed, but only two of them were used for that purpose. The sliding part of the bench adjoining Corvus’ box bed was usually used as a trundle bed for occasions when a family member was spending the night or visiting from afar, and the storage part of the bench was used for storing the linen and wool blankets.

Other objects in the loft included a pole that pulled out to a ladder (in case there was a fire on the main floor and they needed to escape out the window), and a few folding tables if they needed to place an object down. Currently, he sat on the bench legs side saddled, still a little exasperated by the day’s events, and his sister hovered behind him; having finished picking at leftover debris in his hair from the skirmish earlier, she was now trying her best to clean and moisturize his hair. 

“I thought you were working on being less of an open book,” she said while starting to put some leave-in conditioner in his hair. 

Her hair was in large cornrows that came together in a loose bun in the back. After looking at Corvus’ loose mop of curls she had deemed it “unacceptable” for his job. ( _“What if your hair gets in your face when battling elves? No, we’re pulling it back.”_ ) Corvus knew when to pick and choose his battles with his sister and hairstyles wasn’t one he wanted to fight. Truthfully, he was going to ask for her opinion on what to do with it anyway and was just grateful that his previous shaved sides grew out enough to be weaved. 

“I just had a lot of things happen over the past day,” he mumbled as she worked through his hair to part it in half. 

“I can tell, open book,” she replied with a playful hint in her tone. “Hold.” 

And Corvus held down both halves of his hair with a hand each as she came around and inspected her work from the front and the back. “I just wasn’t expecting _things_ ,” he continued.

Chlo returned to the back, freeing one of his hands, and started parting the other side of what would become his first cornrow, “Says the master tracker. I thought you’re supposed to easily adapt to your environment?” 

“That’s different, that’s like a puzzle or mystery that Boss taught us how to find the clues and quickly respond. This feels more like an annoying riddle Grams would give us to think about for the day. The riddle is: how to handle all of this _stuff_ thrown at you in a day.”

Chlo sighed, “So no clues, you’re just going to constantly mull it over in your mind until you _may_ have a solution? - Hold.” She commanded, and Corvus now held down both parts of his hair that weren't being worked on.

“ _Exactly_.”

She continued, her expert fingers tugging on his hair, pulling a little at his scalp. “So let’s figure this out together.” 

Chlo was always better with people skills than he was; she was very down to earth and had a voice that made you naturally trust her. As a child, she was usually the one to get the group of cousins out of trouble by “reasoning” with the adults. Even knowing this, the immature part of Corvus gnawed on his irritation - _he could figure this out himself_. While the logical part of him knew - _he was definitely making a bigger deal of this than he wanted to_. If it was any one event in _isolation_ , or even a few of them, he would’ve been fine, but seven all within a day – and some hitting on more emotional/insecure levels – it was probably better to talk this out. 

“Fine.” He consented. He could _feel_ her smile as she continued to weave his hair. “I guess I’ll start with General Amaya visiting.”

“Oh yes, mom told us about it. Her letter came maybe a day or two after your letter, around Breach day.”

The reminder of Breach day shook Corvus and made his brain go off on a tangent, “How was Breach day? I’m sorry I didn’t have a letter prepared to arrive on the day of the anniversary.”

Chlo made a _hmm_ sound and pulled a little tighter, now getting towards the end of the braid, “I was a little surprised, you were so good about it your first year away, but…” She finished the small braid, coming to the front to face him and shrugging, “We managed.” She smiled.

“Chlo, I’m so sorry, I was on a mission in Xadia and didn’t keep track of the days there. By the time I returned it was the actual day.” Corvus dropped his head, guilt weighing on him.

“Hey, _we managed_.” She said softly and tilted his chin up, “It wasn’t an easy day, never is, but each year it’s improving. Mom had all of us here - _everyone_ , and letters from those that served under her help, and your letter too, when it arrived. Mom liked reading about Xadia through your letter, so don’t give the timing further thought.” 

She raised her eyebrows and Corvus nodded his head back and forth, “Understood.”

“Come on, let’s continue.” She freed his other hand and started parting his hair again to make the path for another row. “So when General Amaya’s letter came a few days later, we were surprised. Kendrik was joking that you had been kicked out.”

“Ha-ha.” Corvus said flatly.

“But the General just wanted to talk with mom, and she also had a favor to ask.” She started weaving.

Corvus didn’t say anything, but his curiosity was piqued. 

“I guess the commander that’s visiting had a sister who served under mom and died in battle. She thought it would be nice if they met and talked.”

_Gren had a sister that died during the Battle of the Breach…? So he was grieving her when he went to service._

Then it hit him: maybe he wasn’t supposed to know. That was fairly personal and, certainly, Gren would’ve told him if he wanted that information shared.

“Oh. You’re right. Maybe I should’ve kept that to myself. He is your commanding officer after all. He might’ve not wanted you to know…”

And for a second Corvus wondered, _how did she know what I was thinking?_ Then he remembered, “Right, open book.”

“And I know you so well, I can read you without looking. I can _hear_ your thoughts.” Likewise, he could hear her grin.

“Well, I don’t actually report to Gren. I report directly to General Amaya herself, but we are friends, and maybe he wanted to tell me that in his own time…” 

He felt Chlo’s fingers stop for a moment, before picking back up, “ _Oh_ , Gren is it?”

_Woops._

“You’re on a _first name_ basis? No _rank_ needed?” She was trying to sound nonchalant as she finished the row.

“Like I said, _we’re friends_.”

Chlo returned to face him, eyebrow raised and a sparkle in her warm brown eyes. She didn’t say anything, but she didn’t need to - her expression was pointed enough. She refocused on his hair, parting down the opposite side of the first two rows, returning to the back – thankfully her scheming eyes no longer in front of him, and he held the rest of the hair away without further directions.

 _Great,_ Corvus thought to himself. _Just great_.

“ _Historically speaking,_ ” She started, and Corvus cringed, “you and I have always had the same taste in men, and I know _I_ found the commander to be quite attractive, so, if history is the base of reason, I imagine _you_ have probably noticed his attractiveness. Hmm?” 

Corvus wished he could sink into the floor. He sighed; _he was not having this conversation_.

“Gosh, those freckles were so cute! And he’s tall too.” She was practically nudging him with words, “Plus you’re friends so he must be nice.” She was beaming, he could tell.

“Chlo, I don’t want to date anyone I work with.” And his tone stated clearly: **_enough_**.

There was silence for a moment, “Then how are you going to meet _anyone_? All you do is work,” she mumbled.

“I don’t know. Maybe I’ll meet someone in a town I visit, or maybe here while I’m on vacation.” He softened. “I know you want me to be happy, and **_I am happy_**. I have my dream job. I feel like I’m finally getting to where I want to be in my career. I feel like I can make a difference, like mom! Besides, a relationship alone doesn’t guarantee happiness, we both know that.”

“I know.” She was quieter too as she finished that row. “It’s just… don’t you ever feel that pressure? Mom and dad practically loved each other since they were kids. They started courting at fifteen. _Fifteen_ , Corvus! You’re seventeen, I’m nineteen, I just feel like I’m behind in, I don’t know, finding my soulmate?”

“ _Heh_ , soulmates? You need to stop listening to dad, you know he’s a romantic. Mom says we forge our own soulmates. You need to find good materials, but you design and smelt the materials together – it’s your joint creation.”

Chlo laughed and resumed parting his hair, now making the row curve to match the curve of his head on the side. “I never thought that was a good analogy.”

Corvus shrugged, “Well mom is a warrior, not a romantic like dad, and definitely not a poet like Grams.” He could hear a soft _heh_.

Her voice hesitated momentarily, “Leo has a new boyfriend now. I just...wanted to give you warning, in case you see him.”

Corvus half laughed, “Oh, too late for that. Guess who I saw as I was riding in with my stylish hair?”

He felt Chlo pause, “ _No_. I mean it wasn’t _that bad_ but it was _bad enough_. And to have _Leo_ see it... _No_.”

Corvus chuckled again, “Yea. That was another reason why I was in my earlier mood.” Although Corvus would have to admit, he didn’t feel so agitated anymore. It’s amazing what talking with his sister could do.

She chuckled too, “I take back all of my teasing, seeing your ex on a bad hair day is – _yikes_. I won’t say _the worst,_ but it’s high up there.”

Corvus smiled.

She let out another long breath, “But, in equal warning, he still visits. You can’t date a childhood friend and then expect _us_ to break up with him too. Well, that and dad does have the best bakery in town.”

Corvus smiled sadly to himself. He had “dated” a few people before Leo, a girl and another boy, but Leo was his first real _“boyfriend"_ with all the emotional weight behind it. They started officially dating when he was thirteen, but then his mom returned home that summer without her legs and the world got heavy. As supportive as Leo was, Corvus was taking more from the relationship than he could spend time giving, and they mutually broke up, but stayed friends. Things slowly got better in the house, and they got back together when he turned fifteen. Five months later Asha was born, and while he was getting less sleep, either from Asha waking up in the middle of the night or staying out a little later with Leo, life felt like it was on track for being “normal” again; they were even talking about officially courting and their families kept comparing them to his mom and dad’s love story. But there was a gnawing inside that appeared ever since his mom first started recovering from her loss that Corvus was having a harder time ignoring: Corvus wanted to join the army - wanted to _serve_ their country in her place. He wanted to help to create a world where no child had to lose a parent physically or mentally. He believed King Harrow could build a better world and he wanted to serve his kingdom on the front lines.

But, understandably, Leo was hesitant about this dream. He remembered how much pain their family was in when his mother returned. Saw how hard it was to work through it. Saw how hard they _continued_ to work through it. Leo didn’t want a future where that history could repeat itself.

Leo’s future was one where they courted for a few years, Corvus would slowly take over Boss’ business selling hides and meat as a professional hunter, and he would continue working with his father in shipping goods, then they would get married and start a family in the town they grew up in with all of their family beside them. It was a beautiful dream and perfectly suited for Leo, whose idea of excitement was taking a boat ride across the other side of the gulf. There was nothing wrong with it, except, it wasn’t what Corvus wanted.

Corvus wanted what his parents had. Court at fifteen, join the army at sixteen - visiting twice a year for a week or two, become engaged at eighteen and marry at twenty, children a little later – maybe? He wasn’t too sure about kids. He wanted Leo to continue to pursue _his_ dream and allow Corvus to pursue _his_ dream too, _independently_ but still _together_. Growing up, his parents always made it look easy.

Arguments then always started small, just a snide comment – probably said out of hurt, but then they would grow…and grow…and never got anywhere. Leo’s dream was right for Leo, and Corvus felt his dream was right for him, the only thing that was wrong about each of their aspirations became increasingly clear: they weren’t supposed to be in the other’s.

The second mutual breakup hurt way more. It felt like failure. Like, _if I can’t make it with Leo, whom I’ve known since I’ve been old enough to remember anyone, then I can’t make it with anyone._ It was easier to force himself to stay in the present, to focus on his mother’s blessing to join the army, focus on Chlo becoming a doctor and all the good that would do, focus on training, on work, on helping dad help mom, and focus on Asha whom he watched as often as he could until he was old enough to join the armed forces after a few months.

The morning Corvus left for the army Leo was waiting for him outside his door, dark brown, tightly curled hair pulled back, tawny beige freckled face looking determined to not cry. They hugged for a minute or two, the only physical contact since they broke up, and it was nice to feel connected again, but then it was time to say goodbye, wish each other good luck and leave. 

The last thing Leo said was, “Make sure she’s worth it.” 

_“She”_ being _Katolis_. It was the first time Corvus realized he had abandoned his childhood sweetheart because he was in love with his country more. 

“Corvus…” Chlo broke the silence, snapping Corvus back into the present. She was finishing her work on his hair. 

“I’m fine, Chlo, really.” He took another deep breath. “See, too much in one day.” He tried to sound lighter. 

She took a deep breath too, “You’re right,” She hugged him from behind, pulling her arms around him tight, “Too much for one day.”

He rested his hands on her arms and they stayed embraced for a few moments longer before Chlo pulled back. From the corner of his eyes, he could see her wipe her cheek before refocusing on his hair. She gathered the braids and tied them together. “The ends of these braids will unravel but the tie will keep your cornrows in place.” She was using her motherly voice now as she inspected his hair again, “This will do until you come home in the winter. You know how to maintain it, right?”

Corvus turned around and resisted rolling his eyes. “Yes, ma’am,” he droned.

She grinned, “Good. Now let’s go see what dad is baking outside. It smells good.”

Corvus smiled, “It _always_ smells good!”

* * *

Amaya had spent the past hour or so listening to General Tishala recount stories about the Third East Battalion to her and Gren. Looking over, she could practically see the stars in Gren’s eyes. The past two days had been eventful, saying goodbye to her nephews, meeting up with Corvus, followed by being ambushed and the fight that followed, but the rest of the trip had been very pleasant. Up till this point, Amaya hadn’t taken a vacation that didn’t involve visiting family, but she was glad she came up with this idea, because Gren was family.

She was happy to see that Tish looked well too. Her hair was short with small twists at the top, streaks of gray mixed with her natural dark brown. Her face could tell a story in itself, she could see the lines furrow on her forehead from sad and worried expressions she must’ve worn many times, but the corner of her eyes had those signature crow’s feet from smiling and laughing. Tish had certainly experienced her share of ups and downs, much like many of the citizens that served in Katolis’ military and their families.

Early in Amaya’s military career, both she and Sarai had trained with Tish. Sarai and Amaya outpaced her in both rank and close range combat skill, but Tish was no pushover. Extremely dedicated and loyal, she also rose through the ranks at an admirable pace, and she was skilled in long range weapons as well as evasive combat. If Amaya remembered correctly, her father was a hunter and taught her from an early age how to set traps and track animals. She was very calculating, and very much like Corvus. Seeing Tish now made it more obvious to Amaya how the two were related not just in cognitive strategies, but he even looked like Tish in terms of facial structure and eye color.

The room they were in was nice as well. Amaya was situated so she could face the door that stood in the distant corner. This allowed her to see the whole room, as well as both Gren’s and Tish’s faces at the same time. The room wasn’t big, but big enough for a four-post bed, a small table with some low stools to sit around, and a nice window to look out of as well as bring in a fair amount of light. It also seemed big enough for Tish to comfortably move around in her wheelchair.

Amaya jolted her head - her mind had wandered. She needed to return to the conversation. She knew how to read lips, but it could get tiring after a while; context helped a lot to help her know what the word was and, now that she zoned out, it might be more difficult to jump back into the conversation.

Gren continued to lean in towards Tish, completely enamored by the story, but almost like he sensed Amaya looking at him he shook his head out of the story and asked the other general to pause.

“I never knew my sister liked reading so much! She would mention books, sometimes quote them, but she never mentioned a book club! Oddly social of her, although I can see her enjoying debating points in the book.” He spoke and signed to catch her up on the topic. 

In the corner of her eye she could see Tish laugh and nod. Amaya nodded as well – all caught up – and the smile on his face and stars in his eyes told Amaya that Gren was still over the moon.

Gren partially turned towards Tish, both were making efforts to make sure their lips were at an angle where Amaya could read them. “Thank you again, General Tishala, for taking the time to talk with me and tell me all these stories about my sister and your battalion. I don’t know if I’ll ever have the words to properly express my gratitude.” 

Amaya smiled fondly at Gren. 

“The joy is mine as well. It’s so wonderful to meet you. I can see the resemblance between you two, especially the freckles,” Tish replied. 

Gren blushed, “Embla’s hair had a tad more of a reddish tint, and she had my mother’s green eyes, but all three of us inherited how quickly our face freckles.” 

Tish’s smile grew, “Well, not just in looks, you both have good hearts – I can tell. Embla was a wonderful lieutenant, and a good person – very supportive to any person in our battalion. I adored having her and it’s so nice to meet the brother she would often talk about.” Tish’s smile turned a little sadder, “She couldn’t have been prouder of you. Each letter she received from you, from the time you were nine, she cherished.” She wiped a tear that streaked down her face, “When we became closer she would tell me about them, I almost feel like I watched you grow up through your letters. She talked about visiting you and your battalion during that past winter solstice up until the day of the...” She trailed off.

Gren placed his right hand on Tish’s, “Thank you. Truly.”

Tish wiped another stray tear with her other hand before placing it over Gren’s and giving it a squeeze. 

“You don’t have to answer this, but I’m curious, did you receive a letter from her before the..?” She didn’t finish but the question was understood.

A small movement from the door caught Amaya’s attention; light came in from the other side, but then it quickly shut. She quickly refocused on Gren, catching him mid sentence; thankfully it helped to already know the answer.

“…I still have it to this day and I’ll read it sometimes when I need her encouragement.”

Tish visibly let out a breath, “I’m glad it made it to you.” She took another visible breath, “I was debating about telling you this, but I think it might bring you some comfort.”

Gren leaned forward, Amaya too, focusing on Tish’s face.

“Ever since General Amaya wrote I’ve been reflecting about that battle...and on you…Were you the voice who called “retreat” from Amaya’s horse?”

Gren nodded, “Yes, that was me.”

“When Thunder turned around and hit us with his tail… … You see, Embla wasn’t far from me… She… She probably…”

Gren fully faced Tish now, both hands on hers. Amaya couldn’t read exactly what Gren was saying, but seeing his head shaking, reading his body language, and knowing Gren, it was probably something like, _you don’t have to continue, it’s okay_.

Tish paused, closed her eyes, took visible breaths, then half-laughing, half-crying took the handkerchief Gren must’ve insisted she use and wiped her tears before returning for a few more deep breaths.

With one more breath that moved her shoulders, she continued, her face showing determination to finish, “As I was being carried away, I could hear your voice call out to retreat. If _I_ could hear your voice...and she was not far... then it’s likely that yours was the last voice she heard.” She took another visible breath, “I think that would have brought her great comfort in her final moments.” Tish wiped new tears streaming down her cheeks, and Gren wiped the tears that escaped him as well.

Amaya took a deep breath, looked up and blinked rapidly to try to clear away the tears forming in her own eyes. 

When she had her tears under control, and looked back towards Gren, she was unsurprised to see him out of the stool, kneeling next to Tish, clasped tightly in one another's arms.

Amaya took another deep breath. _She was not going to cry, she was not going to cry,_ she repeated to herself.

As Gren pulled back, both him and Tish still wiping tears away, Gren lowered himself to make sure to catch Tish’s eyes. She couldn’t read exactly what he said, but she instinctively knew: _Thank you._

Tish half smiled, half sobbed as she pulled him into another hug, gently swaying him back and forth. “You too, thank you.”

Amaya stood up. Focusing on the door, she wanted to give them a little privacy, but as she passed Gren she felt his hand on her arm and he pulled her into the hug.

Amaya couldn’t hear their sobbed words as she was squished in between the pair, but she understood it all the same: _Thank you_.

The three of them stayed in the embrace for a beat before both Tish and Gren pulled back and looked towards the door. Someone was probably knocking.

“Do you want a moment?” Amaya asked Gren, standing up and not sure if she should stay or go.

Gren wiped his face and shook his head, “No, this was needed. Thank you.” He wiped the last of his tears away, “Do I look presentable?” he signed, face still flushed from earlier.

“Not yet.” She half smirked and ruffled his hair affectionately. Gren always tried to look and act professional, but honestly, worrying about professionalism after the news he was just told, sometimes he needed a reminder that it was fine to let your guard down around friends. “Much better,” she signed.

Gren batted her hand away, a small grin on his face. “Remind me not to ask you next time.” He signed.

Amaya grinned cheekily and returned to her stool while Gren tried to fix his hair with his fingers. When he was done he nodded to Tish, who must’ve shouted for the person to come in.

Corvus peeked in before fully entering the room with a large plate of cookies. “Chlo and I thought you might enjoy a little snack.” He smiled, hesitantly walking in.

Amaya looked at Gren to start translating, “You’ve found my weakness, Corvus. Cookies are my favorite type of sweet.”

Corvus walked with more confidence and placed the plate in the center of the small round table before sitting on the last stool. “Well, today is oatmeal raisin. I made them, but it’s Pop’s recipe. Enjoy!” 

Amaya dug in - they were _delicious_. She’d have to think of an excuse to have Corvus make some at the breach. 

“Corvus, these are amazing! Thank you.” Amaya signed and Gren translated.

Covus flushed, “Thank you.”

“I second that Corvus, these are great! Also, your new hairstyle looks nice.” Gren said, gesturing to his own hair, which helped Amaya know he changed topics.

“It does look nice.” Amaya agreed.

Corvus blushed further, “Thank you. My sister styled it for me.”

“Chlo did a nice job.” She read Tish saying, her eyes soft and affectionate.

“Sisters can be pretty great.” Gren said, his face a little absentminded.

Amaya looked down to her second tasty treat. It wasn’t a jelly tart, but Sarai would’ve loved these. “Yes, sisters are wonderful.” she signed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~I need to skip of week of posting.  
>  Chapter 5 will resume on the 20th of September.~~  
> Also, thank you to anyone who reads this. :)  
> _________________________________________________  
>  **Edit (14th of Sept)** : My apologies, but I will be a little longer in updating this fic. School started and it's an adjustment. :) However, I will post a fluffy Corvus/Gren College AU on the 20th of September (with no plot - just lots of fluff) as writing that has been my stress reliever. :D  
> Updates for this fic will likely be Oct, when school has settled a bit.
> 
> * Thank you for reading, until the next time, stay as safe as you can and know that you're loved. :)  
>  _"I love you. You're probably thinking, 'You don't even know me.' But if people can hate for no reason, I can love."_ \- Unknown


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